Competency

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈkɒm.pə.tən.si/

Definitions

1. The ability or skill to perform a task or job effectively and to an acceptable standard
2. The proficiency or skill required to effectively carry out a task or responsibility and meet expected standards
3. The possession of sufficient skill and knowledge needed to carry out a specific duty successfully

Etymology: "Competency" and "competence" are doublets: two English words descended from the same source, one entering the language by a different route than the other. Both trace back to the Late Latin "competentia," a noun formed from "competere," which meant to strive together, to be fit, or to coincide. The Latin verb is built from "com-" (together) and "petere" (to seek or aim at), so the underlying picture is of several aims converging on one point. Because "competentia" was a legal and philosophical term in Late Latin, meaning something like "a right to demand" or "suitability," the English words inherited a sense of being qualified or entitled to act. "Competence" came into English directly from Latin-derived French, while "competency" was formed later from the same Latin base, so it followed a separate path into the language. The two words now overlap heavily, though "competence" is the more widely used of the pair.

Synonyms: proficiency, capability, skill

Antonyms: incompetence, ineptitude